The present invention relates to a capsule extraction device and the machine incorporating said device. Capsule extraction devices already exist on the market. There is a need to propose an extraction device that makes it easier to insert and position the capsule in the device but that is both simple and low cost.
One problem encountered is the positioning of the capsule in the device and the closing of the latter around the capsule to perform the extraction. The capsule usually has to be positioned by the user on a capsule support or in a housing, then the device is closed manually or automatically around the capsule. It is important to correctly position the capsule so that the device closes correctly around the latter and a good seal is thus achieved to ensure good conditions of extraction. Bad positioning may damage the capsule, and thus affect the conditions of extraction. The loading of the capsule must also be easy, without trial and error as to the correct position of the capsule in the device. The loading must also be as rapid as possible and not require excessive manipulations.
So devices exist that propose the insertion of the capsule in a vertical plane and the movement of the extraction or infusion parts along a horizontal plane around the capsule. Such systems have the advantages of allowing a loading from the top piggy-bank fashion, and makes for rapid loading. The positioning of the capsule is then taken over by the movement of a movable part that pushes the capsule against another part such as a water heater. However, these devices are complex to produce and are not suitable for low-cost and therefore entry-level coffee machines for the consumer market. They are therefore usually intended for the business market such as restaurants, bars or communities. For example, patent application WO 98/47418 relates to a device for the extraction of pre-measured inserts in which the inserts are inserted vertically and are extracted horizontally. The disadvantage of this device is that it comprises two movable parts for the extraction, which makes the mechanical principle more complicated.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,776,527 relates to a device for the infusion of lens-shaped filter capsules comprising means of guidance and retention in the form of movable stops that are pushed by a movable piston horizontally towards a water heater. The stops return to their position under the effect of a spring to release the capsule which then falls under the effect of gravity when the stops are rotated to open downward. Such a device uses several combined movements of the capsule guidance and retention means. This makes the device complex and expensive to produce.
Patent application EP 1 219 217 A1 relates to a coffee machine comprising a capsule seat that oscillates between a position for receiving the capsule and a position for releasing the capsule. The seat is pushed against the water injection system by means of a piston that moves horizontally when the seat is in the vertical position. Due to the oscillating configuration of the seat and the compliance with three reference positions of the latter, and the number of pieces necessary, such a device is complex and costly to produce.